The 2012 La Legua Joven is blended with 6% Garnacha and sees no oak contact. It has a soft, simple bouquet of blueberry and briar that opens nicely in the glass. With its very soft and rounded palate, this is a pure Cigales that desires nothing more than to give easy drinking pleasure. Drink now. While I am accustomed to music being piped into barrel cellars to “calm” the wines during their maturation, my visit to Bodegas La Legua marked the first occasion where the music was “l(fā)ive.” One hopes that the guitarist, strumming away on his electric guitar on his portable amp, is allowed out for air once in a while. In the 1970s, Bodegas La Legua was the first winery in Cigales to plant red varieties only, and to this day they are one of the few to eschew rose. Proprietor and neurologist Emeterio Fernandez owns 80 hectares of vine around the winery, which is sub-divided into six-hectare parcels. The average age of vine is 35 years, and they produce around 250,000 bottles per year. For those that have never tasted Cigales wine before, La Legua offer a perfect, affordable introduction to its delights with a superb portfolio that I found beautifully crafted, natural and refined. Importer: Steve Berardi, Denver, CO; (303) 329-3180; and Berry Brother & Rudd (UK).

Violet-scented red fruit. Simple and attractive. Beautifully balanced fruit and tannin. Simple but good. Fair length.